Call to hold fire on sending in soldiers for disasters
Defence troops should only used as a last resort during natural disasters and their role should be scaled back, an inquiry has found.
A Senate committee examining natural disaster resilience has called for pressure to be relieved from defence forces after bushfires or floods.The committee was set up in November 2022, following widespread flooding across the east coast of Australia, which highlighted the rising number of disasters impacting communities.
In its final report, the committee said while many natural disasters have been responded to by the Australian Defence Force, its role should be reduced.
“The ADF should only be called upon as a last resort to respond to natural disasters when all other capabilities have been exhausted,” the report said.
“The Commonwealth’s capabilities and national capacity must be enhanced to ensure Australia is prepared to face the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters due to climate change and to reduce its reliance on the ADF.”
Volunteer organisations should be boosted to deal with the aftermath of disasters, the committee said.
One suggestion was increasing the role of Disaster Relief Australia, which was set up in 2016 and involves military veterans in a volunteer capacity.
The committee put forward 10 recommendations, including creating a register of national assets to ensure critical infrastructure is repaired more quickly after natural disasters.
While assets owned by federal or state governments would be high on the list, the committee said consideration should be made to include those owned by local councils, the private sector and non-government organisations.
In its final report, the committee said an increasing number of natural disasters were having a greater impact on local councils.
The inquiry suggested local governments should receive a greater amount of recovery funding as a result.
“Local governments are experiencing challenges with the current funding arrangements, particularly in their ability to finance infrastructure repairs up-front,” the report said.
“It is clear there are ongoing issues with coordination and communication in disaster response and recovery.”
The inquiry also recommended time off should be legislated for people volunteering with organisations after a natural diaster, as part of the Fair Work Act.
The committee recommended the arrangements be similar to measures provided to reservists in the Australian Defence Force.
Calls for a national mental health hub were also made in the inquiry, which would aim to provide support and training for emergency workers and community members affected by disasters.
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